Automatic firearm



April 14, 1931. l., s'rANGE AUTOMATIC FIREARM Filed June 18, 1929 LLL,

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 LOUIS STANGE, OF SOMMERDA, GERMANY,

ASSIGNOR TO RHEINISCHE METALL- WAAREN- 'UND MASGHINENFABRIK, OFDUSSELDORF-DERENDORF, GERMANY AUTOMATIC FIREARM Application filed un i8,1922, Serial No. 371,880, and in Germany November 12, 1928.

The invention relates to apparatus in automatic firearms in which thebreech mechanism moves axially with the barrel and in which a rearwardacceleration is imparted to ,5 the breech piece after it has beenunlocked from the barrel. The new arrangement is characterized by theefficient impulse imparted to the breech mechanism and by a simpleconstruction adapted to the external form of the breech mechanism, inwhich manufacture thereof is facilitated by the casing of the weaponforming a cylindrical surface of revolution.

According to the invention, the acceleration relative to the barrel isimparted to the unlocked breech piece by one or more members rotatableabout the bore of the barrel, by the parts of the weapon which are movedon firing, so that their wedge-shaped operating surfaces surrounding theaxis of the cylinder are inserted between co-operating members of thebarrel or of the breech sleeve connected thereto, on the one hand, andthe breech piece, on the other hand, and separate the latter forciblyfrom the barrel.

The accompanying drawing represents an example of a breech apparatusaccording to the invention applied to an automatic firearm with slidingbarrel. The three construc- 30 tions show in perspective the apparatuspartly in section respectively with the breech locked and in twointermediate positions during the recoil of the barrel after firing.

a is the casing of the weapon formed as a hollow cylinder. The breechsleeve Z) coupled with the barrel, which is not shown, is mounted in thecasing a so as to be displaceable but not rotatable. On the rear end ofthe breech sleeve b, which is provided, with a screw-thread b1, a ring cis screwed which is rotated in the wall of the casing by a lug 01secured to and engaging in guides a2, a3, when the two parts arerelatively displaced in the longitudinal direction. The breech piece Zis longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeve b and projects outof the ring c. The breech piece is guided rectilinearly in the casingslot al and cannot, therefore, rotate in the casing. It is drivenforward in known manner by a mainspring which at the same time acts asthe means for moving the barrel forward. The breech piece al hassegmental collars d1 which engage between similar collars 02 on the ringc and lock` these members together. The ring c terminates at the rear intwo oppositely disposed lobes c3, 04, a similarly. directed wedge shapedsurface c5 or c6 of which co-operate with surfaces cl2, cl3 on thebreech piece d. The surfaces 05, 06, the collars c2 of the ring 0, theco-operating surfaces cl2, d3 and the collars d, of the breech piece Zare so relatively arranged, that the surfaces 05, c6 of the ring o onlycome into engagement with the co-operating surfaces d2, da of the breechpiece when the collars c2 are out of engagement with the collars all.

A. spring loaded locking lever e is pivoted in a longitudinal groove ofthe breech sleeve b and at its rear end projects over an annularextension @terminating the ring c. The member c7 has at one part arecess 0S in which the locking lever e .can engage. r)The object of thelocking lever e is, at certain positions of the breech piece, to lockthe ring c against rotation relatively to the breecn sleeve b andconsequently against the breech piece cl. The lever e is lifted from therecess 08, in order to allow the ring c to rotate, by a nose el of thelever e cooperating with the breech piece (Z.

ln the description of the method of operation of the breech apparatus,it is assumed that the parts are originally in the position shown inFig. l. The breech piece el and the breech sleeve are in their forwardend position in the casing a and are locked together by means of thering c. v After firing, these parts return at first together through acertain distance in the locked condition. The ring c is at nrst guidedina straight line, the lugs cl sliding in the groove a2, a3, which, fora short distance a2, is parallel to the bore of the barrel. At themoment in which the lugs have reached the end of the straight guide a2the shot has left the barrel and the pressure of the gas in the barrelis reduced to atmospheric pressure. On the continued recoil of the ringc its lugs traverse the helical portion a3 of the groove and the ring 0is rotated relatively to the breech sleeve b which is further guided ina straight line and the breech piece d; Aits locking collars C2consequently come out of engagement with the collars Z1 of the breechpiece Z.

At the end of the unlocking movement, as shown in Fig. 2, the lockinglever e engaging over the outer surface of the annular eXtension c7 liesover but `does not lenter the recess 0S, because its nose el rests onthe surface Aof the breech piece d. Y

Simultaneously with .the .complete unlocking of the breech piece Z fromthe ring c, -the Wedge shaped surfaces c5, 0G of the latter'corne intocontact with the surfaces Z2, Z3 of the Ybreech piece, while, up to thistime, during the unlocking rotation, the distance between these surfacesgradually decreasing. @n ithe continued Irecoil of the system consistingof the 'breech sleeve-Z), ringo and'breech piece Z, the ring c isfurther rotated bythe `inclined guides t3 and thereby Veffects theseparation 'of the tbreech piece from the 'breech sleeve and itsaccelera-tedrecoil, the angular rotation of the-surfaces @5,06 ofthering c afterengagling with t'he'inclined parts of the surfaces Z2, Z3limpe-ls "the rectilinearly guided breech piece Z rearward.

During therelative movement of thebreech piece and sleeve Z), alongitudinal groove CZ4 of the breech piece, lying radially 'under thelever e', passes below the nose el of the lever and 'the lever is movedby spring pressure radially inwards, so that its rear end enters lintothe recess 08.

ln the vposition shown in `Fig. 3,'the `breech sleeve of the barrel andthe ring c have at- Atainedtheir end rear position in Ythe casing a I.ofthe weapon. The breech piece (Z has, as above-mentioned, been separatedtherefrom and continues, vits accelerated recoil. lts 'kinetic energyis, as usual, utilized for eject- Aing the `fired cartridge shell. The-breech ypiece is brought to vrest by a stop :provided in the casing ofthe weapon and is 'now again driven for-ward'by themainspring andelfects 'the lfeeding :of the next cartridge intothc barrel.

After reachingtheir rear end positioniu'the casing ofthe weaponaud the vpreviously described separation from V'the breech piece, the breechsleeve lathe barrel and the ring c could lbe-again displaced 'forwardindependently of the breechpiece Z, for example7 on liring'withconsiderable angular depression. During Vthis forward movement, theringe is rotatedV backwards by .the 'inclined guides a3 Lin the casinginthe direction to vagain lock theibreech piece. The locking lever whichhasentered the recess G8 o'flthe ring limitsrthe backward rotation ofthe vvring c and consequently the 'further forward lmovement of thebarrel and `'breech sleeve, so vthat 'the collars 'c2 ofthe ring @cannot"engage withlthe collars Z1 of .the breech piece or that the breechpiece Z, which is still -in the rear position,` runs back into its'front end position in the ring c andthe casi-nga into its front endposition. Ring c is thereby further rotated and the breech sleeve vb andthe breech piece Z are again locked together.

Since vthe locking and unlocking and also the accelerated movementv ofthe breech -piece simply depend on a relative rotation of the lockingand unlocking members Z1, d2, Zsand the co-operati-ng members 02,105,06,iin -a Amodi-V fied construction the locking-collars c2 and theunlocking 'members c5, c6 might'be 'rig-ifdly connected with the barreland this could be rotationally controlled `relatively -to ithe breechpiece -Z.V Or ythe rectilii-i'eafrly guided breech piece could itselfcarry lthe lock-ing a nd unlocking yring rotatable relatively Ito fthealso rectilin-early guided barrel, in the same manner -as the abovedescribed ring c. The new breech unlocking devices can vobviomsily beemployed with` firearms vhaving "fixed barrel.

l claim: n :1. Anautomatic firearm, comprisinga'casing having 'guidestherein; :a ring'i'nthe casing having lobes thereon -andlug's whichproject into :the guides in the casing, said ring also having collarstherein Vand Ya screwthreaded portion; 'a breech sleeve `displaceablymounted in 'the casing and having a screwthreaded screwthreaded portionof `the ring; and :a breech piece longitudinally displaceable in thebreech sleeve and .having surfaces 'cooperating withthe lobes of thering, said Abreech piece having collars thereonY cooperating with Lthecollars Vin the ring. i,

2. An automatic'firearm, comprising acasing having guides therein; aIringin Vthe casing having lobes thereon and lugs which 'project intothe guides in the casing, 'said *ri-ng also having 4collars therein andVa screwthreaded portion; a breech sleeve .displaceably mounted `in thecasingland havin'gf'a screwthreaded portion cooperating .withthescrewthreaded k,portion of the ring; ia breech piece longitudinallydisrplace'able :in 'fthe breech sleeve and having surfaces cooperat+ ingwith vthe lobes of :the ring, `said breech piece having collars thereoncooperating with the .collars in the ring; a locking lever pivotallymounted in the breech piece; Aand an annular Vextension at the end ofthe ring into which the locking lever projects. i

3. An automatic 'rearnn'comprising'a'cas# portion cooperating 'with Etheioo Civ

.- Wedge-shaped in g having guides and a slot therein; a ring in thecasing having lobes thereon and lugs which project into the guides inthe casing, said ring also having collars therein and a screvvthreadedportion and unlocking surfaces on the lobes; a breech sleevedisplaceably mounted in the casing and having a screwthreaded portioncooperating with the screvvthreaded portion of the ring; and a breechpiece longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeve and havingsurfaces cooperating with the unlocking surfaces of the lobes ofthering, said breech piece having a bolt projecting Vthrough the slot inthe casing and collars thereon cooperating With the collars in the ring.

4. A n automatic firearm, comprising a casing having guides and a slottherein; a ring in the casing having lobes thereon and lugs whichproject into the guides in the casing, said ring also having collarstherein and a screwthreaded portion and unlocking surfaces on the lobes;a breech sleeve displaceably mounted in the casing and having ascrewthreaded portion cooperating With the screwthreaded portion of thering; a breech piece longitudinally displaceable in the breech sleeveand having surfaces cooperating with the unlocking surfaces of the lobesof the ring, said breech piece having a bolt projecting through the slotin the casing and collars thereon cooperating with the collars in thering; a locking lever pivotally mounted in the breech piece; and anannular extension at the end of the ring into which the locking leverprojects.

5. An automatic firearm, comprising a barrel; a breech mechanism adaptedto move axially with the barrel and when unlocked from the barrel movesrelatively rearward; and releasing member having Wedge-shaped surfacesrotatable about the bore of the barrel, the acceleration relatively tothe barrel being imparted to the breech piece by said surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LOUIS STANGE.

